REVENGE is an exciting upcoming team-based shooter where players will be aided by other, spectating players in their fight against endless, horrific hordes. For this project, contracted by the stellar team at Everreach, we’re delivering several services. One of those we’d like to highlight in this behind-the-scenes look, is our UI/UX efforts. Building from the ground-up, we’ve had an interesting and challenging experience crafting the user experience, establishing the game’s look and feel, and creating its visuals and player UI. Let’s take a deeper look.
Delivering UI/UX Design for REVENGE
Our UI/UX team was brought on to handle the complete UX and UI design for REVENGE from the ground-up. Crafting these elements is a long process that begins from the earliest moments of pre-production. Without some consistency across the art, UI/UX, and development teams, players will likely feel a disconnect between mechanics and player agency.
We’re proud of our team’s work on this project, showing dedication and hard work in the UI/UX development. Starting off with in-depth research, exploration, and experimentation, our UI/UX team have been working tirelessly to shape the game’s overall look, feel, and player experience. While we can’t give away too many details of how it will work, a standout achievement we’d love to highlight is introducing a fresh way for players and spectators to engage with the game and each other. We’re excited to see how players and spectators get invested with the mechanics we’re developing. Halfway between a stream and a game, depending on which side you fall on, this experience has been crafted carefully alongside the other game development teams to design an experience that’s captivating for players and engaging for those watching the streams.
Tools of UI/UX Design
Briefly, we’d also like to highlight the kinds of tools used by a UI/UX team. Some of the tools used by the Magic Media team include Photoshop, Unreal Engine 5, After Effects, Figma, Figjam, and Rive for the actual UI/UX design. On top of that, for organisation and communication, it’s important to leverage tools such as Google Suite and Miro among others. These tools are always evolving and depending on the engine, such as Unreal Engine 5 or Unity, these may change or alter our toolset.
Keeping up with the evolving and growing potential of tools and software is integral as we strive to deliver only the highest, most modern results for our clients.
Magic Media’s Design and Implementation of UI/UX
UI/UX, while often quoted together, are two separate disciplines that are combined as they work in harmony when done correctly.
From the UX or User Experience perspective, we begin with ‘User Research’. Here is where we start to understand our target players, analyze the competition, and identify opportunities to make the game more player focused. Following this, we move into the ‘Ideation’ phase, combining flows, personas, and wireframes to shape the ideas discovered during research into actionable designs.
Once we have a solid UX foundation, we transition into the UI elements and the ‘Visual Design’ phase. Here, we conduct a different kind of research focused on aesthetics, exploring creative directions in our ‘visual lab’ to discover the perfect match for the game’s style and identity.
After this exploratory stage, we shift to a more technical approach by building a ‘Design System’. This system powers all high-fidelity screens, ensuring consistency and efficiency as we prepare for integration into the game engine—Unreal Engine 5 in this case.
In addition, given the sci-fi genre of REVENGE, the question arises if there are any extra steps or considerations for UI/UX design for a particular genre. In truth, it’s the opposite! Our UI/UX team said it’s important to stay true to the sci-fi theme and genre but limiting oneself to just that genre is a mistake. They emphasized that inspiration can and should be drawn from a variety of genres, design styles, and artistic formats. This broadening of perspective helps our design team to push fresh ideas and innovative concepts to help their game stand out while maintaining its core identity.
Tips for UI/UX Designers
We asked our Director of UI/UX Design what is something every UI/UX designer should never forget. He said that the main thing to keep in mind, always, is the target audience. Your target player should be at the forefront of every decision.
“Staying objective, using data-driven insights to strike the perfect balance between what the game demands, the team’s vision, and the players’ expectations for an exceptional gaming experience.”
Unsung Heroes of UI/UX
When delivering UI/UX design services to REVENGE, we asked our team if there was anything about this avenue of work that didn’t get noticed or appreciated by players. They were quick to point out the UX process and the design principles relied upon daily including graphic design, industrial design, and even psychology, are not often spoken about outside of industry circles. These elements, honed and refined by veteran UX designers, work behind the scenes to ensure a seamless experience that prioritizes the player. Without this kind of experience, prepared and curated by Magic Media’s UX team, a game experience would fail before it had a chance to get interesting.
As mentioned above, keeping your target audience is crucial. Magic Media’s UI/UX team have a mantra, “we are not the target audience.” That allows them to design with empathy and precision to deliver excellence!
Final Thoughts
When discussing this project with the UI/UX team, they repeatedly expressed excitement about the project and its upcoming pre-alpha stage. This milestone marks a huge moment for UI/UX where they can connect with players closely and gather valuable data and feedback. We’re proud of our UI/UX team for being so driven in their pursuit of enhancing player experiences. This pre-alpha phase will be instrumental in shaping the future of REVENGE and how it matches up to player expectations.
We hope you enjoyed this look behind the scenes at REVENGE and our UI/UX design processes. If you’d like to leverage our game design, UI/UX design, or game development services, please get in touch today. Our one-stop studio has a plethora of services ready for your gaming, entertainment, or tech project. So, reach out today and let’s create magic.
